Lena Headey facts

She's now married to a musician called Peter, making the tattoo on her arm saying 'Jason' in Thai a bit awkward...

Why we love Lena Headey

When we heard the that Linda Hamilton, the original, wild-eyed Sarah Connor from the Terminator was being swapped for a younger, fitter model for the franchises attempt at telly in the form of The Sarah Connor Chronicles we approved – If only for continuity and narrative reasons. Then, when we found out she would be replaced by Lena Heady, an actress we’ve admired since her turn as the ball-breaking Queen Gorgo in 300, we were so happy we fired off a thumbs up, while sinking slowly into a vat of molten steel.

Lena Heady was born in Bermuda after her policeman father was seconded there. On returning she went to school did a bit of acting, liked it, go a decent role in a play, was spotted, got a part in a film. Boom. That’s how it happens sometimes. That’s not to say that after her break Lena Heady didn’t work her metaphorical plums off, because she did. Roles in The Remains of the Day, Aberdeen and a butt-ton of other stuff kept her busy.

Then came 300 a film that’s as brilliant as it is historically inaccurate. Lena Heady is the tough as nails wife of Gerry Butler’s SPAR-TAN! And they have sex in slow motion.
This role would have put Heady in prime position for the part of Sarah Connors alongside Summer Glau. She is tough, sexy, intelligent and sexy. Sexy.

This tough sexiness of which we spoke earlier would have been a key factor in Lena Heady landing the role of another cult female hero - That of Queen Cersei Lannister in Game of Thrones, HBO’s big budget adaptation of the best-selling book series. Heady plays a murderous, scheming beauty who also has a tendency to have sex with her brother, who to be fair, is pretty buff. Heady will also turn up in Dredd which is another big-screen go at Judge Dredd. Lena Heady basically IS the internet.